Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1875 — A Lion Hunt at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden. [ARTICLE]

A Lion Hunt at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden.

The sensation on the northeastern hill suburbs yesterday afternoon and last evening was the news that a captive animal of the leoline description had broken from its cage in the Zoological Garden and was wildly roaming at large. The story at first sounded so much like the old menagerie-advertisement dodge that it was not believed until it was announced officially from the police stations on the hills. The particulars of the excitement are as follows: About three o’clock in the afternoon a boy was leading a donkey in front of a cage in the “ buffalo-house,” in which was confined a two-year-old lioness, a fine specimen, recently purchased from the Great Eastern menagerie collection at Lebanon, Ohio. The savage animal, in a fit of rage, bounded against the bars, which yielded, and let it free. It immediately bounded on the donkey, which in the onset was thrown to the ground. The boy who was leading the beast was scratched on the hand with the claws of the lioness,-but otherwise escaped unhurt, and ran away. The poor donkey was terribly lacerated about the neck and the hinder parts with the claws and teeth of the lioness, but gaining its feet turned upon and seized with its teeth its assailant and shook it viciously. At this the lioness quitted the donkey and bounded away through the park. Soon the news of its liberation spread and a crowd gathered, but soon dispersed when the lioness put in an appearance. Lieut. Cody and two or three policemen from Corryville District Station happened to be in the park at the time and a council of war "was held. They debated the question whether they would shoot the animal on the spot or capture it alive. They surrounded it, but the circle was very wide. As the circle grew less in diameter, the lioness in the middle growling and snarling and leaping about, the officers concluded neither to shoot nor capture alive. They got out of that vicinity as quick as they could. The panic spread, and a tumultuous skedaddle from the park was made. Spectators state that the appearance of the escaped animal was most furious. Excited with its freedom, it would stand for a few minutes with faring eyes and open mouth, lashing its sides with its tail and uttering wild, hissing cries, and then spring into the air. In a short space of time the lioness had the whole park to itself. Later in the evening a number of men and boys assembled from the neighborhood with pistols and guns, and with the consent of the Zoological Garden.authorities started in on a genuine lion hunt, the object being to kill the brute, as it was apparent that it could not be taken alive. About six o’clock it was found in an open space some distance from the cage from which it escaped. With a shot-gun, heavily loaded with buckshot, Patrick McAvoy, a carpenter, fired two loads at the animal ; one shot missed and the other took effect in the animal’s side, from which it soon fell upon its side and died. In the closing fight two men were thrown down and hurt, though not seriously. Altogether, the sensation was a huge success, though the Zoological Society has to mourn the loss of an $l,lOO animal. —Cincinnati Commercial, March 25. There is no risk in buying a Mason & Hamlin Cabinet Organ. These instruments are known to be the best of their class in the world. But if the opinion of a dealer be asked he will frequently recommend some other, for the simple reason that he can get larger commissions for selling inferior instruments. a The seafaring men of Newfoundland call pastors the skippers of the churches.